Frog Lodge

Hello and welcome to the Frog Lodge—the pre-K through second grade classrooms of Chief Leschi Elementary! It is our mission to provide your child with an excellent foundation in the early grades where they learn not only fundamental academic skills and habits, but where the love of learning is inspired. Partnering with families in this endeavor is essential as families are a child’s first and forever teacher.

As the Frog Lodge Leader (PreK-2nd Grade Principal), I believe my journey here began as a child with my own forever teachers, my parents, “Andy” and Shirley Anderson, both from mid-west. My dad served a career in the Air Force, which took us from the Mojave Desert of California to Thailand, Germany, Massachusetts, Nebraska, and then back to the Mojave Desert, where he retired. My early world travels, open-minded and welcoming parents, and family stories, are probably why I found myself fascinated by various cultures, identities, and viewpoints and earning my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science with an Emphasis in Gender, Ethnicity, and Culture and going on to earn my first Master’s Degree in K-8 Education.

This is my 21st year in education, having served as a kindergarten, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, multi-age, and 5th grade teacher and earning National Board Certification in Early and Middle Childhood Literacy and Language Arts in 2009. I have also worked as an intervention teacher, an instructional coach, district “coach of coaches”, and district-level literacy instruction and assessment specialist and professional developer. For a short time, I moonlighted as an instructor of literacy courses for teachers-in-training at Western Washington University, Bremerton. As a state instructional framework specialist for the new teacher evaluation system, I have trained teachers and administrators in multiple districts. In 2015, I earned a second master’s degree, this time in Educational Leadership, and worked for the Puyallup School District as an assistant principal before joining the Chief Leschi team.

I am the mom and forever teacher of a 16 year-old son and 12 year-old daughter. I am the wife of Tim Zimnisky—a fire captain in Burien. Tim and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in September. My role as mom and wife are those that I hold in highest honor.

This is my third year as Frog Lodge Leader and I have to say, I wake up daily feeling a sense of purpose and determination to support your child and to carry out the mission of our incredible school. When asked, “Why Chief Leschi? Why are you here?” My answer is simple: to work myself out of a job. I want to do such a good job of supporting the teaching and learning of every child who graduates from our school, that any one of them can return and fill my position; that, will be success. In the meantime, may I be a familiar face, welcoming smile, listening ear, and partner and collaborator in our children’s growth here in the Frog Lodge!

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Chief Leschi Schools is an equal opportunity employer, except as provided under the Indian Preference Act. Chief Leschi School complies with all applicable federal and state rules and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably-discharged veteran or military status, sex, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, marital status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.